The Dark Knight was passed up in the Best Picture category, though Heath Ledger is in fact up for the Best Supporting Actor award — as is Robert Downey Jr. for his role in Tropic Thunder! And Kate Winslet is nominated, this time only up for a Best Actress award for her work in The Reader. Revolutionary Road is recognized in one of the major categories with a nod to Michael Shannon for Best Supporting Actor (the announcement of which was met with some happy shrieks this morning).

Heard they are giving $35K gift bags at Oscars. Dont you think with a recession going on with people facing foreclosures and losing thir jobs they can help save someones home or feed a family of 3 for 2 years for that $35k bag of jewels and trips. Hollywood needs to realize what really matters..."give a gift bag, save a family"

I agree with the nominations for the most part. I love Angelina, but I wish she was nominated last year for "A Mighty Heart" instead because she truly deserved to win that award, whereas her performance in Changeling was supposedly overhyped (still can't bring myself to see that movie because of the emotional content, A Mighty Heart was very difficult to watch as well). I think it's Kate Winslet's turn to win the Oscar. I think Taraji P. Henson should also win for Benjamin Button, as well as Heath Ledger though RDJ was great in Tropic Thunder too.

From what I read, France chose to submit "The Class" as it's foreign language entry rather than "I've Loved You So Long". Only being able to submit one film per country is such a bogus rule, ILYSL was a great film.

I always wish there were more diversity in the nominees. I can't speak for Benjamin Button personally, and I'm sure it was a good film deserving of nods. But 13? Seriously? With Dark Knight shut out of some big awards, and Gran Turino shut out completely? I can agree that maybe Dark Knight doesn't deserve to win Best Picture per se, but it does deserve a chance.Half the problem is that the same group of films sweep the entire ticket rather than the best film of each category winning.

I always wish there were more diversity in the nominees. I can't speak for Benjamin Button personally, and I'm sure it was a good film deserving of nods. But 13? Seriously? With Dark Knight shut out of some big awards, and Gran Turino shut out completely? I can agree that maybe Dark Knight doesn't deserve to win Best Picture per se, but it does deserve a chance.
Half the problem is that the same group of films sweep the entire ticket rather than the best film of each category winning.

To say more, I'm happy for Kate Winslet (I think her time has come), Mickey Rourke (great comeback!), Robert Downey Jr. (playing a part-within-a-part with two vastly different characters, and being funny at the same time), Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Sean Penn, and the wider acclaim for "Milk." I think other awards groups were afraid of the content, but the Oscars saw the great craft that went into the film as a whole.Other movies I liked seeing up there: Wall-E and Waltz With Bashir.

To say more, I'm happy for Kate Winslet (I think her time has come), Mickey Rourke (great comeback!), Robert Downey Jr. (playing a part-within-a-part with two vastly different characters, and being funny at the same time), Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Sean Penn, and the wider acclaim for "Milk." I think other awards groups were afraid of the content, but the Oscars saw the great craft that went into the film as a whole.
Other movies I liked seeing up there: Wall-E and Waltz With Bashir.

I'm surprised I've Loved You So Long isn't nominiated for best foreign film. Kristen Scott Thomas was nominated for a GG best actress, so I assumed the academy awards would also give her some love. I mean, Anne Hathaway was chosen over KST? Absurd.

That is so weird that Springsteen wasn't nominated, Molly! Totally agreed. These are some of the most interesting Oscar noms I've seen in years...just because they are so unpredictable. Funny that the academy seems to agree with me about Revolutionary Road...not worth all the fuss.